Snow and ice melting machine.



A. WETTERVIK. SNOW AND ICE MELTING MACHINE. APPLICATION PILBD ,1116.5` 1918.

W/TNE88E8 l/VVENTOR UNITED s'rATEs PATENT; OFFICE.

` AXEL wn'r'rnnvrn, or IRON RIVEMICHIGAN, Assrenon or ONE-HALE 'ro GUsT i LINDAHL, or'rnon nrv'nn, MICHIGAN. f

T0 all 'whom it may concem:

Be it known that 1,' AXEL Wn'r'rnnvrn, a cltizen of'the Umted'States, and a resident of Iron Biver,` in the county` of Iron and State of lhichigan,` have invented a new and Improved Snow and Ice Melting Machine,V of which the following is a full,` clear, and exact description. j

This invention relates nto a machine for melting snow and ice or forsnow leveling and road making, 'andrelates'more particularly to a machine ofthat type includi ing melting` rollers containing the fire grates for holding thefuel whereby the cylindrical surface 'of the roller isheated for melting the snow and ice by direct contact therewith.-` i i i j The invention has'for its general object to improve and simplify` the. construction and operation of machines of this character i lso as to be reliable and efiicient in| use, and

composed of comparativelyyfew parts.` i-

Another object of the invention isthe provision of a snowand ice melting machine in which a plurality of melti'ng rollers are mounted in frames mechanically lconnected together in such a mannerthat the machine can-be readilysteered. i j i Another object of the invention is' the employment of a novel arrangement of doors o at the ends of the `rollers for permittin'g removing access thereto for inserting the fuelland the ashes and for controlling the draft.`l i j .With these objects in view, 'and others as willappear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises' various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appendedihereto. o i

In the accompanying drajwings,` which illustrateone embodiment of the invention,

and wherein similar reference charactersare employed to designate corresponding' parts throughoutthe several views,'-Fignre 1 is a plan view of the machine with one roller in` section 'and'showing the'rollers iii-full lines? in position' for j 'straight ahead` travel and in dotted lines inposition for turning; Fig'. 2 is la side view of the machineg'jFig. 3 is a longitudinal section'of the machine on afplane passing through one'vof the rollers`Fig. 4 is a transverse sectiontaken in an axial plane` of'the rollersgiFig. 5 is an Specfieation of Letters Patent.

snow AND ICEMELTING MACHINE.

Patentea sent. 22, 1914;

` Application filed Angust 5, 1913. Serial No. 783,056.

endiview of one of therollers, showing the sectional door structure; and Fig. 6 is a 1 side view of one of the sections of the door for the rollers.

Bfeferringl to the drawing, A and A' designate the rollers of' -the machine which are mounted respectively in frames B and B'. Each frame consists of side members l and 2 and front and rear members 3 and 4, whereby a square or rectangnlar structure`` is formed,` and projecting rearwardly from'the Corners of the frame are members 5 which terminate in a disk-'shaped plate 01' fifth wheel structure `6.' Between the plate 6 extends a connecting device C which -is shown in the form of a rigid box to which the plates 6 of the frames B and`` B' are hingedly connected by bolts 7 and 7 respectively;v 'The box or connecting element C carries an upright steering` post 8 which has at its upper end asteering wheel 9 and on its lower end is adrum 10 or equivalent device`Fig 3, around which passes a chain or other flexible'element-11,` the forward ends of the chainbeing connected atliwith the inner rear Corners ofthe frames BV and B', the purposev being that by turning the steering wheel 9 the chain 11 will `canse'the frames Band B' to swing in the same direction aroundltheirpivotal centers A7 and 7 when the machine is to be turned to the right or left. i

The two frame`B and B' are sli'dably connected together byl a 'central connecting element D, which has in its opposite sides, as shown in Fig. 4z,`longit` udinal guideways 1'3 with whichithe inner members 2 of the frames B and B' respectively engage. This connectingv element D prevents the frames B and B' from spreading apart'and cooperates with the pivotal center 7 and 7' to always maintai'n the axes of the rollers A and A' lin parallelism. On the side members 2 of the frames B and B' are fla'nges or ribslc, Fig. 4, which engage the flanges 15 of'the guide'ways 13, so that the frames i B and B' andconnecting element D are 'securely fastened together while relative automobile, traction engine or the like. The frames B and: B' are provided with forward extensions 18 on wlnch are mounted boxes 19, which, like the box C, may be used for containing fuel or for Vany `other purpose desired.. It will be noted that each roller-carrying frame is provided with a box 19, while the box C is common to both Sections of the machine. Each section of the machine is detachable from the box 'or connecting'element C so that the sections may be used independently for melting snow or ice, and to provide for separation of the sections the frames B and B' are detachable froml the connecting element D by av rel'ative longitudinal movement of the bars. It will be noted that the guideways 13 extend the full length of the element D so as to permit the frames B and B' to be slipped into or out of their respective guideways. The element D may be held in place by a link or bar cl unitng'it with the 'box C. Each roller comprises a cylindric-al body 20 formed as shown in F ig. 3 with spokes 21 that Vcarry a central hub 22, and attached to each hub is 'an out-wardly-extending stub axle 23 that isl fastened in the adj acentside member of'the lroller-ca'rrying frame B or B'. Withineach roller is a fire-box E which loosely hangs on'the inner ends of the axles or journals 23 and within each fire box is a grate 24 that supports the fuel. The ends of the rollers are provided with doors F which ;are preferably made of quadrant sections f of the form shown in Fig. 6, each section having a hub formed by a disk 25 suitably secured to the plate of which the section ,F is formed. The axle 23 passes through the openings'26 .of the hubs of the door Sections so that the latter will have a rotary movementabout the axle 23 as a center. Extending outwardly from each section f is a handle or equivalent device 27 and the handles are so disposed on the respective 'Sections that they Will all lie above the frame B or B', as clearly. shown in Fig. 2. Over each roller is a shield or guard G Ofisuitable heat non-conducting material, and on the lateral edges of the g'uards are stops 28 with which the handles 27 of the door Sections can be jengaged for' holding the doors in open or closed position. When the Sections of the doors are' in closed gposition, as shown in Fig. 2, the contiguous edges of adjacent Sections voverlap and form a complete c'losure for the end of the roller. When the door Sections are .to be moved vto open position, as shown in' Fig. 5, the Vupper two Sections can be thrown downwardly and the lower Sections thrown-upwardly and held in such position by engaging their handles 27 with appropriate stops or hooks 28. `In this way openinlgs a, ,b are provided 'for -permitting air to` enter to the "fuel'and the products of combustion 'to discharge,"tl 1e size'zofzz the equivalent devices 29a.

openings being regulated as desired. When the doors are fully opened the Sections thereof overlie one another, whereby access to the interior of theroller is aflorded. w

Asshown in Fig. 2, each side member of i 'the frames Bi and B' is made in two .parts Aseparable on an mclined' line 29' coincident o with the axle 23 which is'clampedV between the two parts of the side of the frame, said` parts being fasten-ed together by bolts or Then the'two sections ofV the machine are lcoupled together, as shown in Fig. 1, the

driver uses the box C as a seat so that the steel'mg wheel can be operated. for steering the machine, but when one section of the machine is used separatelythe driver -Will` sit on the front box 19. When using the. machine the same. is driven over the surface where the road is ,desired to be made, and by reason of the hot rollers' the snow or ice will be melted, leaving aroadthrough .which traflic can beconducted. o i

From the foregoing description taken 'in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the method ,of operation and of the apparatus shown ywill be readily understood by those skilled in the. art to which the invention` appertains, and 'while I have described the apparatus which Inow consider to be thebest embodment thereof,

I desire to have it understood lthat the -apparatus shown is `merely illustrative, and that such changes may bev made when desired as are within the scope of the appended claims. v i o g Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: i

l. In an ice and snow melting road making machine, a supporting frame, a roller mounted thereon and having open ends, a heating meansl in the roller, and draft controlling doors pivotally mounted ,on a common axis co-incidentpwith the a'xis of vthe rollers.

2. In a machine of the Vclass described, the combination of a frame, axles thereon, a roller mounted on the axles, a heater ,disposed within .the lroller and suspended on the axles, and adjustable doorscarried by the axles and stationary with respect to the roller to Vcontrol the draft through lthe latten; I,

'3. ;In amachine of the class described, the

combination of a frame, a roller having ;open

ends and rotatably imounted in' the frame, a heater within thel roller, affiplurality of cloor sections pivotally mounted' at each end lof the roller, a guardf disposed ,over the `upperzportionof'the rollers, and meanson neo the `-sec-tions' of the door for adjustable ze'n-` gagement with the lsaid guard -for holding the doorisections in different positions.v ;4. In a machine of the class described, :the

combination of a frame, axles thereon` a,

roller supported by the axles, a fire-box'in the roller and carried by the axle, and doors for the ends of the roller consisting of sec-` tions pivotally mounted on theaxles.

5. ln a machine of the class deseribed,A the combination of a frame, axles thereon, a roller supported bythev axles, a fire-box in the roller and carried by the axle, doors for the ends of the roller consisting of Sections pivotally mounted on the axles, a guard' Copies of this patent may be obtained `for mounted on the frame and disposed over the roller, and means on the Sections of the doors for engagement With the guard for holding the door Sections in different positions.

In testmony Whereof I have signed my name to this speoification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses. i

AXEL WETTERVIK.

Wtnesses: i

EDWARD P. Lo'r'r, OSKAR BUSKANEN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington,1 J). 0. 

